(1)  If a defendant has been prosecuted for one or more offenses arising out of a single criminal episode, a subsequent prosecution for the same or a different offense arising out of the same criminal episode is barred if:

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Terms Used In Utah Code 76-1-403

  • Acquittal:
    1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
    2. A verdict of "not guilty."
     
  • Conduct: means an act or omission. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • Offense: means a violation of any penal statute of this state. See Utah Code 76-1-101.5
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
  • Voir dire: The process by which judges and lawyers select a petit jury from among those eligible to serve, by questioning them to determine knowledge of the facts of the case and a willingness to decide the case only on the evidence presented in court. "Voir dire" is a phrase meaning "to speak the truth."
(a)  the subsequent prosecution is for an offense that was or should have been tried under Subsection 76-1-402(2) in the former prosecution; and

(b)  the former prosecution:

(i)  resulted in acquittal;

(ii)  resulted in conviction;

(iii)  was improperly terminated; or

(iv)  was terminated by a final order or judgment for the defendant that has not been reversed, set aside, or vacated and that necessarily required a determination inconsistent with a fact that must be established to secure conviction in the subsequent prosecution.

(2)  There is an acquittal if the prosecution resulted in a finding of not guilty by the trier of facts or in a determination that there was insufficient evidence to warrant conviction. A finding of guilty of a lesser included offense is an acquittal of the greater offense even though the conviction for the lesser included offense is subsequently reversed, set aside, or vacated.

(3)  There is a conviction if the prosecution resulted in a judgment of guilt that has not been reversed, set aside, or vacated; a verdict of guilty that has not been reversed, set aside, or vacated and that is capable of supporting a judgment; or a plea of guilty accepted by the court.

(4)  There is an improper termination of prosecution if the termination takes place before the verdict, is for reasons not amounting to an acquittal, and takes place after a jury has been impaneled and sworn to try the defendant, or, if the jury trial is waived, after the first witness is sworn. However, termination of prosecution is not improper if:

(a)  the defendant consents to the termination;

(b)  the defendant waives his right to object to the termination; or

(c)  the court finds and states for the record that the termination is necessary because:

(i)  it is physically impossible to proceed with the trial in conformity with the law;

(ii)  there is a legal defect in the proceeding not attributable to the state that would make any judgment entered upon a verdict reversible as a matter of law;

(iii)  prejudicial conduct in or out of the courtroom not attributable to the state makes it impossible to proceed with the trial without injustice to the defendant or the state;

(iv)  the jury is unable to agree upon a verdict; or

(v)  false statements of a juror on voir dire prevent a fair trial.

Amended by Chapter 278, 2013 General Session